Chapter 9: Companions in the Dark Forest
The Dragon beauty seemed to have just finished her bath, and the scent of rose body wash wafted toward him. Her seaweed-green hair was loosely bound by a white ribbon and draped over her shoulders, revealing a snow-white, slender neck. At such close range, Tang Ping could even see the faint tracery of veins beneath her skin.
"I..."
"Oh, you're here for *that*, right? Hang on a sec."
"???"
Hearing Tang Ping's words, Qing Lan was utterly dazed, yet she followed him obediently into the room. She didn't forget to close the door behind her, sliding the bolt into place with a click before letting out a long sigh of relief.
*Whew~*
Tang Ping heard the door lock, but he didn't say anything, assuming she was just extremely shy.
"I'm not a woman, so I could only choose based on what seemed popular. I grabbed one of each of the best-selling brands; you can pick whichever fits your needs."
"???"
Qing Lan stared at the small squares (sanitary pads) arranged neatly on the table, and her brain hit a fatal error.
She had prepared herself mentally. Based on her understanding of males, she expected to be roughly pulled into the room to begin the "procedure." Instead... what on earth was this? Was her message unclear, or had he misunderstood something? Or... was this some kind of traditional engagement gift from the humans of this planet?
*Should I take them? Which one do I pick?* She looked at the items, then at Tang Ping, her face a mask of helplessness.
Now it was Tang Ping's turn to be confused. After a moment of thought, he had an "Aha!" moment. "You just arrived in this world, so you probably don't know how these work. Basically, women put these... there... I think! Then the blood gets absorbed, and you can throw it away... probably!"
"This one is for day use, this is for night use, and this is the extra-long version. Don't ask me why there are so many types; I don't know either..."
As she watched Tang Ping's animated "live tutorial," Qing Lan finally grasped his meaning.
"No, no, no! I didn't come here for that!" she cried, her face flushed crimson as she clarified with clenched fists.
"Huh...?" Tang Ping was stumped. Aside from that, he couldn't think of any reason important enough for Qing Lan to sneak into his room in the middle of the night.
"I... I want to get to know you!"
*Ah! I said it!* The Dragon Princess felt a surge of joy—she had actually managed to say it.
"Get to know me? Why?"
*Because I'm starting to like you! How am I supposed to say THAT?!* Tang Ping's question sent her into a panic, and the "script" she had rehearsed in her mind vanished instantly. She scrambled for an excuse.
"Uh... well... right! Can I see your contract?"
"My contract?"
"Ahem! We are comrades now. I want to know your situation here. Yes! That's it!"
"I... see?" Qing Lan's sudden intensity made Tang Ping a bit apprehensive. Since he couldn't read the contract anyway, he figured letting her see it couldn't hurt; she might even help him decipher it.
Tang Ping raised his right arm and activated the Water God Seal. With a thought, a green orb of light manifested before them.
"Well?"
"!"
Qing Lan was speechless. She knew Tanoxi would tamper with the contract, but this was overkill!
The clause stating Tanoxi belonged to Tang Ping and Tang Ping belonged to Tanoxi was standard. However, the supplementary articles were staggering. *Cannot betray Tanoxi... cannot sell out Tanoxi's interests... cannot reveal information about Tanoxi to outsiders...* otherwise, Tang Ping would suffer this or that consequence. Qing Lan scanned the dense text; there were nearly a hundred articles. Many were trivial or redundant, yet Tanoxi had added them all anyway.
"Roughly... there aren't any major issues... I think?" Qing Lan said guiltily, her eyes glued to the light orb to avoid Tang Ping's gaze.
Tang Ping didn't notice her discomfort and felt a wave of relief. "That's good to hear! By the way, right after I signed it, I saw two star-like rings appear around it. Do you know what those are?"
"...Maybe it was always like that? You just didn't activate it correctly before."
"Lady Tanoxi said the same thing." Tang Ping sighed, feeling as though Tanoxi was brushing him off. But without evidence, he could only rely on this seemingly kind Dragon Princess. It seemed Tanoxi hadn't done anything truly outrageous after all.
"..."
Qing Lan suddenly remembered Tanoxi mentioning that her divine arts—especially hypnosis and brainwashing—seemed ineffective on Tang Ping. Was she frantically adding "patches" to the contract to compensate for that failure?
*Yes, that is very much her style.* In the pursuit of godhood, both Tanoxi and Qing Lan were combat-focused; neither was good at schemes or complex thinking. So, Tanoxi "spicing up" the contract was understandable.
Thinking of this, Qing Lan looked at Tang Ping in a new light. Despite these harsh terms, he hadn't violated a single one. He had even taken on extra work without Tanoxi ever asking.
*He is someone who can be trusted.* Tanoxi must have realized this, which is why she stopped adding more clauses later on. The very last line—stating that the stronger party has the right to delete supplementary articles—was the ultimate proof of Tanoxi's softening heart. Qing Lan marveled at Tanoxi's luck in finding such a rare talent.
*In that case, maybe I can also...*
"Anyway... it's getting late! Since the contract is done, Miss Qing Lan, you should..."
"Master Husband... No! Tang Ping!"
"Yes?!" Tang Ping was startled by her sudden seriousness.
"How... how do you see me?"
"Huh?" Tang Ping was floored. He never expected that after twenty-plus years of being single, he would hear this classic confession prelude in the real world rather than a Galgame.
Qing Lan sat on the edge of the bed, fiddling with her fingers and looking down. "This appearance is just a manifestation. I didn't think much of it when I chose this form, so I don't know if others would like it..."
"....."
The shadow of her bangs hid her exquisite face, but she continued to pour out her thoughts, word by word. Despite the crushing awkwardness and a slight urge to bolt out the door, she endured. Victory or defeat—it would be decided here.
"So... I want to know... Tang Ping, do you like how I look? My features, my figure... do they fit your preferences? You might think I'm boasting, but in my world, plenty of humans liked me too!"
"I-I see...!"
"Ah! Is it my height? I knew boys liked girls who were shorter than them—it's cuter that way... But my form is set. I don't have a Turritopsis dohrnii (Immortal Jellyfish) form like Tanoxi, so I can't change my height!"
Qing Lan keenly caught (and misinterpreted) the slight change in Tang Ping's expression. She truly couldn't change her height; humans in the Sea of White Sands were generally much larger than those on Earth, and she was average there. To think this trivial detail could be the stumbling block of her romance!
*...No, it's too early to give up!* Tanoxi had secretly told her about Tang Ping's quirks—how his eyes had lingered on Tanoxi's chest when they first met. Apparently, he liked "bountiful" women. Tanoxi said she had seen Tang Ping's "collections" on a machine called a computer: art and stories that, aside from harem plots, were defined by one major characteristic—massive breasts.
What was a joke then was her best weapon now. What Tanoxi had, she had too. There was no reason for Tang Ping to love Tanoxi and not fall for her.
"!"
Under Tang Ping's shocked gaze, Qing Lan took a deep breath. She stood up and reached for the belt of her bathrobe.
As the robe slid to the floor, a body capable of causing a global riot among men was displayed, in all its unfiltered glory, right before Tang Ping's eyes.
"?????"
"N-No! Miss Qing Lan, what are you doing?!"
Tang Ping squeezed his eyes shut and flailed his hands, trying desperately to stop her. But Qing Lan had no intention of backing down now. She stepped forward until she was right in front of him, then caught his hands, forcing him to face her true self.
"Since I've come this far, it means I've already made up my mind! Master Husband... No! Lord Tang Ping, please... bestow your favor upon me!"
"No, no, no! I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about!" Tang Ping tried to flee, but his hands were pinned. Despite her delicate appearance, her grip was unbreakable. *Is this the strength of a dragon?!*
"I know," she whispered, her voice trembling. "You like women with big breasts. Tanoxi told me. Feel them—the size isn't smaller than hers, is it? They might not be as soft as hers, but I'm confident in their shape and firmness!"
Qing Lan grabbed Tang Ping's hand and pressed his palm against the soft curve of her chest. As she guided his hand to knead her flesh, she spoke with a bashful flush. Tang Ping found himself caught between heaven and hell; his brain was screaming "Danger!" but his hands had seemingly entered auto-pilot mode. He didn't even realize that Qing Lan had let go of his hands, yet he continued the motion himself.
"You... you should value yourself more! This kind of thing should be done with someone you love..."
"But I *do* love you."
"Eh?"
Qing Lan threw a direct fastball. Tang Ping didn't even get a chance to swing; he was struck out instantly. His hands finally stopped moving.
"B-But..."
"A girl has gone this far, and you still want to humiliate her?!" Qing Lan's temper flared. Seeing Tang Ping's shifting gaze and hearing his endless excuses, she felt a surge of indignation. She had expected him to at least give her some dignity, but he was acting like a coward, rejecting her over and over.
It was an insult! She was one of the greatest beauties in the Sea of White Sands. Between sea beasts and land deities, the number of admirers who had confessed to her could fill three ocean trenches. Why did she have to endure such humiliation from a lowly human after humbling herself to confess? *And if he doesn't like me, why was he rubbing them so happily just now?! Is he just playing with me?*
"Look into my eyes! If you don't like me, look me in the eye and tell me!"
"..."
Tang Ping didn't dare open his eyes or speak. He was afraid of making another mistake. A single slip of the tongue once gave him things he didn't deserve and led to countless deaths. Most importantly... he was afraid he would say yes.
Qing Lan was a stunning beauty; there was no doubt about that. Even during the meeting, while he pretended to be calm, he had caught himself stealing glances at her chest. She was beautiful, high-born, and powerful. Aside from not being human, he couldn't find a single flaw.
But... none of that had anything to do with him. Tang Ping wasn't as naive as Tanoxi or Qing Lan—privileged ladies who had never worked a day in their lives. He knew how society functioned and he knew exactly who he was. He had no talent, no savings, and no home. If he hadn't met Tanoxi, his only destination would have been the Forest of Oblivion. He had nothing to give back to her.
Like weights on a scale, the relationship could only be stable if both sides were equal. The idea of a beautiful girl falling for him for no reason only happened in trashy manga or light novels. He couldn't imagine why she would love him, and this sudden "surprise" terrified him. He had no choice but to remain silent and refuse.
What Tang Ping didn't know was that his silence triggered a brainstorm in Qing Lan. She was judging his thoughts based on the emotional markers he released. It started as panic, shifted to lust, and had now settled into an absolute, freezing calm.
*Why such a drop? Is it because he's weak? Or am I too forceful? Or... is it because I'm not as pretty as Tanoxi?*
That possibility made her even angrier! While she admitted she wasn't as world-shatteringly beautiful as Lady Freya, she believed she could hold her own against Tanoxi. It wasn't narcissism; it was confidence. She had heard it more than once: "If you're picking a mate, pick Qing Lan! That Cthulhu girl is pretty and strong, but she might eat you in your sleep. Only a fool wouldn't choose Qing Lan!"
Having heard such flattery all her life, Qing Lan subconsciously assumed that if she took the initiative, victory would be hers. Instead, she was facing total defeat. Tang Ping could tell Tanoxi "I want you" without hesitation, yet even with her clothes off, he wouldn't say "I like you."
*What am I doing? What does any of this mean?*
Tired of overthinking, Qing Lan finally snapped. She grabbed Tang Ping by the collar and threw him onto the center of the bed. A moment later, she was straddling him, looking down from above. Her golden slit pupils glowed in the shadows, a stark reminder of her non-human nature. She was a predator; she didn't need to care about the cries of the lamb.
She would simply take what she wanted.
Truthfully, she didn't hate Tang Ping. In fact, his actions today—especially his vast knowledge in strange fields—had shocked and impressed her. But it wasn't deep love yet; at most, it was a strong interest and a desire for a deeper connection. She hadn't refused Tanoxi's suggestion earlier because she didn't know if Tanoxi was joking.
Tanoxi had been a great benefactor to the Azure Dragon race, and to Qing Lan personally. That's why she had surrendered her sovereignty to become Tanoxi's first kin, fighting her wars and coming to this mana-starved world. But that didn't mean she had to warm the bed. She was a kin out of honor, and even Tanoxi couldn't force her into this.
However, after today, Qing Lan had a premonition: Tang Ping might actually succeed in building this nation. If he succeeded in a hundred years, would she still have to "sell her body" then? She didn't want to gamble on the future. She regretted giving the initiative to Tanoxi, so she came here herself. She wanted to know how he felt and if she truly liked him. She wanted to take the crucial step herself.
*I've done nothing wrong! I will bear the consequences alone!*
*But... it's so scary...*
*Why do I have to do this? Isn't there anyone to help me?*
The emotions that had sprouted from love grew into a dark forest in the final moment. Her pride didn't fuel her courage; it smothered it. *I'm scared... someone... help me...*
Qing Lan could no longer hold back. Tears began to fall, drop by drop, but her hands didn't stop. Just as she grasped the "vessel of sin" to welcome her "punishment," Tang Ping reached out and held her waist.
Qing Lan looked at him through tear-filled eyes, confused. She expected more resistance. But Tang Ping's eyes held something else—a hint of lust, a dash of helplessness, and an overflowing sense of heartache.
"Let me do it," he whispered. "This is between two people. If I let you bear it all alone, I'd be a pretty poor excuse for a man. I should at least have some participation here."
Fine, he surrendered! *Could we not just talk it out? Did you really have to strip, use force, and then cry? You're making it look like I'm the one bullying you...*
"It's not like I said I didn't like you..."
Tang Ping's faint mumble was caught clearly by Qing Lan. Something soft in her heart was touched, and more tears welled up. This time, they weren't from grief, but from joy—the joy of finding a companion to walk through the dark forest with.
No... not a companion. From now on, they were mates.
"This humble one is foolish... please, be gentle with me."
With those words, and with Tang Ping's assistance, Qing Lan lowered herself with firm resolve.
"It hurts!"